I don't actually endorse a brand - I always look for the best camera for me, and my needs - features, IQ, ergonomics, and functionality are what matter for me, so brand is way down the list of things I consider when buying a camera. As it stands, I happen to have a lot of Sony gear, because they worked out best for my needs - I've had 3 Sony DSLRs and two Sony mirrorless cameras so far, and they've been a good fit for me. When I'm looking for a new camera, I will of course check what Sony is offering currently not out of brand loyalty but because having existing lenses for that mount makes it easier to stick with them IF they make a camera that can meet my needs. But I'd switch in a heartbeat if another camera met those needs better. I've owned Pentax, Canon, Konica, and Nikon cameras in the past (from film days), and Canon, Fuji, and Sony in the digital era. There are no brands I'd cross off my list just because of the brand name...I'd consider any current brand or any newcomer down the road, as long as the image quality, feature-set, and ergonomics were competitive and to my liking.

As to what about Sony I like that has my two current cameras with them? Well, I've always liked their DSLR ergonomics - slightly larger, very large shaped grips with deep finger indents, a good weight to counterbalance long lenses. I like the features and functionality - in-body stabilization, tilting LCDs, no-delay live view capability, in-camera HDR, multi-frame noise reduction stacking in camera, dual card slots, huge battery life with proper % readout, Apical-based DRO system (like Nikon who uses it as well), fast burst modes (5fps & 7fps speed mode)...to name a few. Some of those things are on other cameras, and some other cameras have a few things I wish Sony had...but in the end it's just about which one has the most things I like and the least things missing that I like, in a design and body that fits me well.

I tend towards liking Nikon body designs next, and Pentax body designs (DSLR) after that. I have a bit of trouble ergonomically on Canon's entry level bodies, but the pro bodies are much more ergonomically pleasing to me. Functionality-wise, Pentax is probably next to Sony for my needs, with Nikon just after them. Image-quality wise, I think they're all close enough to not really matter much - there aren't really any bad DSLRs, and between tunable JPGs and RAW processing, they can all be made so close to eachother that I doubt anyone could pick out which photo came from which brand if you stuck them all side-by-side in a blind EXIF test.

Like Justin said, I don't endorse a brand either. I use whatever suits my needs at a price I can afford.

Yes, with DSLRs you become financially "locked in" when you invest in lenses and accessories but that doesn't necessarily mean you endorse that brand in itself.

I also agree that DSLRs of similar price points are generally so close that you'd be hard pressed to tell photos taken by the different bodies at face value with a bit of processing.

To be completely honest, I think the brand argument is a pretty sad and detractive one. Photography should about enjoying taking photos and being creative about doing it - brand should be nothing but incidental.

Personally, even if I do prefer Canon, I agree with all the replies above. I prefer Canon for the sole reason that I am more familiar with the system and it just fits my needs better in general, and also I have a lot of friends who own Canon and it helps a lot if a friend of mine has a lens that could suit my needs for a certain occasion, if I have a Canon camera, I can use this lens.But to be honest, if I were to start isolated from everything, just entering the DSLR market, I might actually go for Sony cameras, they have improved a lot over the last few years.

Not wishing to go off topic but "mirrorless Mini DSLR" is a misnomer and a contradiction - interchangeable lenses don't make a camera a DSLR - that's down to using a single lens for both the image that will appear on the sensor and the image viewed through the optical viewfinder my means of a mirror and a pentaprism/pentamirror.Names you could perhaps use include Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera, Compact System Camera, Digital Single Lens Mirrorless camera or Electronic Viewfinder Interchangeable Lens camera.

Some of you and others say different brands are sooo good you cant tell the difference in a blind test, I dont believe that, with Canon and Nikon picture comparisons from the Canon T3i & Nikon D3100 to the Canon 5D Mark 3 and the Nikon D800 I can see real differences, those differences being in contrast, digital quality, sharpness and colour intensity.

Had you not cherry picked what you read, you would have seen that we mentioned doing some light and subtle processing, which can quite easily make images from the two brands exceptionally difficult to distinguish.

I too can see differences between unprocessed images from Canon and Nikon but with some small processing to colour intensity, contrast and image sharpness, telling them apart becomes much more difficult.

ZEMBANU wrote:

I meant the mirror-less cameras that have interchangeable lenses, not the compact cameras with fixed lenses, Canon though makes great camera in that compact category, for the mini DSLR with interchangeable lenses Sony is the way I go.

I know what you meant, hence the list of terms I put forward. "Mini DSLR" is, in etymological terms, incorrect for the reasons I gave earlier.

My current favorites are based upon ergonomics. My Canon 7D and Nikon F6 both fit in my right hand very well. (The corresponding Nikon DSLRs would be the D2-series.) I like the rear dial of the pro and semi-pro Canons, and the ease of moving the AF point on the Nikons. Another camera I have found likable, when handling one at a camera shop, s the Fuji X Pro-1.

The Canon 5D Mark III continues the excellent ergonomics of the 7D, whereas the 6D has differing ergonomics, and the rear dial has been changed in a way I do not like. The newer Nikons have a brick-like feel that I do not like, except that the D4 feels quite good. So, at the top of my wish list, of realistically affordable cameras, for shooting hand-held, is the Canon 5D Mark III.

Why this topic? (to me) It seems you just want to hear Canon's the best brand, but it's not. Not at all. Canon focuses more on the bells and whistles of the camera (like good quality video, JPEGs that do not need to be processed further [for casual shooters], many megapixels... and so on). To be fair, Nikon's the best brand to me. Why? Because they focus more (or at least did until the 24mp sensor) on IQ and things photographers want and need. Good build quality and excellent viewfinders on the entry level cameras are pros too. Remember the Nikon D90? I would choose that one over the 650D and everything below, because it's just a basic tool for the much asking enthousiast photographers. Low noise, big viewfinder with grid option, it's quick, sturdy, and the list goes on and on.

Also, I guess you do not really know what you are talking about (same as in the 5D III/ D800 topic). What I like is that you say (you choose) Canon (because they) focus on sensor quality with many megapixels while rivaling with other brands, even though they have more megapixels and the same quantity of noise. So you love that they have many megapixels and you like it that the sensors are made of high quality (and thus the IQ), but, er, I do not quite get it. Nikon's D800 has as much noise as Canon's 5D III, so you love the 5D's quality because of they rival against the D800? Nikon's JPEGs are much more neutral looking too (which is better for the more experienced photographer), and also, you can tweak the RAWs or even the in-camera JPEGs easily if you want them to look the same. They can look the same, really.

Well, I like Nikon more than Canon as you can understand. Why I have Canon gear is simple; Canon's 350D is at its price point ($120) a perfect, cheap, DSLR. (much better than other DSLRs at that price)Also, Canon has the 70-200 f/4L and the 50D which is kind of the same as the Nikon D90. I do not like the way Canon's going too, because I dont see the 60D as the ''new'' 50D. Whatever, the 50D's pro enough for the coming years!